The Bet
by likethephoenixfromtheashes
Summary: There is this bet between Emma and Regina. But who is going to win in the end? No curse. Rated M for language - just in case.
1. Chapter 1

_Title: The Bet_

_Pairing: Regina Mills/Emma Swan_

_Spoilers: there's no curse in this story, which makes it slightly A/U – at least_

* * *

_This is a fanfiction - I don't own "Once Upon A Time" or any of the characters._

_"Once upon a time" and all its content belongs to Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and ABC._

* * *

_A/N: This is going to be a short story. This is Part I of III. So there will be two more._

_I'm writing "The Bet" for Ana and her friend Lu – I guess they know why ;)_

_Hope the two of you enjoy this little piece as much as I enjoy writing it._

_Much love,_

_Raven_

* * *

**The Bet**

**by Raven**

Regina Mills was sitting at Granny's, reading a newspaper, when Emma Swan entered the diner.

A growl of annoyance escaped the mayor's lips, but unfortunately the blonde took that as an invitation to slide into the booth, facing the brunette curiously.

_„Miss Swan, leave me alone."_ Regina did not even bother to put the newspaper down. Why had the Sheriff to show up anytime she wanted some peace and quiet? She should have stayed in her office for lunch break, definitely.

_"It's good to see you too, Regina."_

The mayor dropped the newspaper, giving the blonde a death glare,_ "I don't remember inviting you to join me."_

_"In fact you did. Your body language was quite obvious"_, the Sheriff responded with a provoking smile.

_"Miss Swan, are you delusional?"_ Regina's eyes sparkled furiously.

Emma raised her arms in defense, _"I just thought you could use some company since you're always sitting by yourself."_

_"Has it ever come to your mind that I want it that way?"_ The mayor countered harshly.

_"Well, then…If you prefer being lonely, so be it. Have a nice day, Mayor Mills."_ Emma made an attempt to get up, but the brunette grabbed her arm and held her back, _"What makes you think that I am lonely?"_

_"For one – you're always alone, except for the times when Henry is with you. And second - you never date. I get that the people in Storybrooke aren't really your friends, but seriously. I've been here for a year now and you had not one date. How's that even possible? Sure, you are not the easiest person, but still…you're a beautiful woman."_

When Emma finally realized what she had just said, she shut up immediately, which caused Regina to laugh bitterly.

_"As you said yourself, Miss Swan. People here are not exactly my friends."_ Regina took the newspaper, about to start reading again.

_"I bet I could find someone, who would be willing to go on a date with you"_, Emma replied quickly, eager not to lose the mayor's attention.

_"Now you've completely lost your mind. Why would you think I would go on a date with someone you, of all people, would pick for me?"_ The brunette put the newspaper down again, highly motivated to make that bet going to happen, because that would solve her biggest problem – getting rid of Henry's biological mother. Getting rid of Emma Swan. Since her son had found her Regina's life had been one big nightmare, but maybe luck would be on her side now.

_"Well, then…tell me whom you want to date and I'll make it happen"_, Emma stated, absolutely sincere and convinced that she would succeed. That was until she heard the mayor's answer.

_"Hm…make it either Doctor Whale…or David Nolan."_ An evil smile appeared on Regina's face and Emma's eyes widened in disbelief, _"Don't tell me you have a thing for David…that's just…ewww…and Whale, seriously?!"_

_"I don't like either one of them…those two idiots. But you said you are up for a bet…and I'm just making sure that you won't win",_ the mayor stated the obvious,_ "Because if you l lose…you'll leave Storybrooke, Miss Swan. And you'll never come back."_

Emma sighed in frustration. She had thought of a somehow more funny bet than this. Of course Regina had chosen the two men, who truly hated the mayor, who would never agree to go on a date with the brunette,_ "We'll see about that. But if I win…you have to spend a whole day with me. And you have to be nice."_

Regina was taken aback by the blonde's response. She had expected to hear something like if Emma would win she would have to give up her attempts to get rid of the blonde, but no. Emma wanted to spend a day with her. Why the hell would she want that? Did it matter? There was no chance Emma could win this bet, she would make sure about it,_ "Fine. You have two days, Miss Swan."_

* * *

Regina had called Sidney Glass the second she had returned to her office and had instructed him to follow Emma Swan for the next two days – nonstop. And to report everything to her, even the smallest of details.

* * *

Emma had called Ruby the second she had returned to the station, because she would need her friend's help and advice if she wanted to win this damn bet.

Asking David was no option, especially because he was her best friend Mary Margaret's fiancé and Emma would not jeopardize with her friends happiness.

Whale on the other hand - well, she did not care about him at all, she just needed to talk him into going on a date with Regina. How difficult could that be?

Right that moment Ruby entered the station, grinning wide, _"So, did you finally find the courage to ask Regina out?"_

_"Not exactly."_ Emma dropped her head, not able to face the leggy brunette.

_"What's that supposed to mean, Em?"_

* * *

When Emma had been done with her explanation she had to admit that her plan did not sound so convincing anymore and Ruby just sat there, glaring at the blonde in disbelief.

_"Ruby, could you please say something?"_

_"You are an idiot. You've lost your mind. How on earth could you agree to that, Emma?"_ The leggy brunette simply was aghast that her friend had agreed to that bet with the mayor, because it was more as if Emma had made a deal with the devil, _"You could as well have promised Regina your immortal soul."_

_"Funny. Could you get serious now and say something useful?"_ Emma groaned in frustration.

_"I am serious. There's no way to win that bet…and you know it. Why would you do that, Emma? What's going on in that head of yours, seriously?"_

_"I don't know…I saw it as my chance to…to get Regina to give ME a chance I guess…and if I don't win this bet leaving is the best option anyway…because I could never face her again"_, Emma dropped her head, feeling slightly embarrassed.

_"What about Henry?"_ Ruby wanted to know, _"He came all the way to Boston to find you…and you fought so hard to make a life here, to get a chance to see him from time to time. Are you ready to give that up? Because Henry will never forgive you if you just leave."_

_"Regina and I have been fighting for a year now…a year. And I'm exhausted. All that arguing…as much as I enjoyed it at times…I can't do it anymore. And the ongoing battle is not good for Henry either. Everyone knows it…"_ Emma stated quickly and Ruby nodded in understanding.

_"I know, Em. I know how hard it's been for you, especially since you have feelings for Regina, but I think this is a lost case. You might win the bet…because wonders do happen after all…but winning the mayor's heart…in case she has one…I think that's truly impossible."_

_"Good for me that I have to concentrate on winning the bet for now",_ the blonde countered and gave Ruby a small smile, but it never reached her eyes.

* * *

Two days of promising pretty much everything that had come to Emma's mind later, she was not even close to winning the bet.

She had tried to bribe Doctor Whale, at some point she had even tried to blackmail him, but he had not given in, not even an inch and Emma knew she was running out of time.

What the hell should she do?

In a couple of hours she would need to face Regina and then she would have to leave town. Forever.

But Emma was not giving up yet.

She knew that Whale simply refused to do her a favor, because he was an asshole and he enjoyed seeing her so desperate.

And yet she was standing in front of the hospital once again, ready for the next round.

_"Miss Swan. Are you a masochist?"_ The arrogant voice of the doctor had her out of her thoughts immediately.

_"No, but you seem to be quite a sadist"_, Emma fired back.

_"Maybe you're right."_

_"So, I'm not going to give you a big speech today, Whale. Just tell me your conditions. Just tell me what I need to do…to get you to go on a date with Mayor Mills."_ Emma knew that this would backfire at her within a minute, but she had no other option left.

_"That's quite a tempting offer, Emma and I'm really sorry to disappoint you, but there is absolutely nothing you could probably do…to make me go out with that bitch. And that is my last word."_

* * *

Whale had left without another word and Emma knew it was over. She could as well start packing already, but that was when she bumped into Mary Margaret and David.

_"Emma, what's wrong?"_

The blonde was startled by Mary Margaret's question, simply because she was not used to people sensing that fast that she was not doing well. But since Emma had not much time left she told her best friend and her fiancé what was going on (she only hid the fact that David had been her second choice), just to earn some laughter from David.

_"Please, don't take this personal, Emma. I know that you really like Regina…God knows why, but nevermind…but I can't blame Whale for saying 'No'. No sane person would consider going on a date with Regina Mills."_ David still could not stop laughing and Emma realized that there was no point in asking him for help.

_"So, what happens if you lose the bet?"_ Mary Margaret wanted to know.

_"I have to leave Storybrooke."_

_"What?! Why on earth did you agree to that?"_ The teacher could not believe it.

_"If I don't win it's better if I leave anyway."_ Emma dropped her head and left without another word.

There was no way to win after all.

* * *

Emma was on her way to the Mayor's office the next day, ready to tell Regina that she would leave town the next morning, when Mary Margaret stopped her, _"Maybe I can get Whale to do it."_

_"Thanks for the offer, but that would be against the rules. And it's too late anyway. My two days are over."_

That said Emma headed inside, ready to face the brunette for the last time.

* * *

Regina was smirking triumphantly.

Emma Swan had failed.

She would finally get rid of the infuriating blonde. If she would have known that it would be that easy she would have made up a bet with Emma months ago.

But Regina had to admit that she was still wondering why Emma had wanted to spend a day with her. Sidney had reported to her that the blonde had moved heaven and hell to get Whale to agree to a date with her and Regina did not understand why. Why was it so important to Emma to win?

She could have asked for the mayor to back off if she would win, but no. She had wanted a day with Regina. But why?

That was when someone knocked at the door and Regina knew exactly, who it would be, _"Come in, Miss Swan."_

Emma entered her office, looking pretty much devastated and for one second Regina felt sorry for the blonde, but she recovered quickly, _"So?"_

_"Don't act like you wouldn't know, Regina. I know that Sidney was spying on me the last two days. I just came to give you my badge and let you know that I'll go home now. To pack. Just make sure you'll find a new Sheriff quickly. I'll leave first thing in the morning."_ Emma stepped forward to hand the badge to Regina, but the mayor refused to take it.

_"Keep it. Till tomorrow at least."_ The brunette countered dryly, _"Oh, and Miss Swan…I would be free tomorrow. In case you still want to spend a day with me…before you leave."_

Emma was startled by the comment, could not believe that Regina Mills was offering her some sort of a chance. It had to be a joke, right?

_"Now why would you do that, Regina?"_

_"Because I'm curious, Miss Swan. I have to admit that I'm dying to know what you had in mind for me…"_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bet**

**- Part II**

Regina Mills opened the door and was greeted by a shyly smiling Emma Swan, who held two cups of coffee in hand.

To the mayor's surprise the blonde was punctual for once.

Who would have guessed?

Emma had been late for a whole damn year and now on her last day in Storybrooke she was punctual? Now why was that?

_"You ready to go, Madame Mayor?"_

Regina sighed heavily, quite sure that it was a mistake to go with the blonde, but nobody had forced her to agree on spending the day with Emma Swan now that the Sheriff had lost their bet. Regina had put this on herself and she knew it, she just had no idea why she had done it, _"As ready as I can get."_

* * *

Emma had handed the brunette a cup of coffee and Regina had accepted it with a nod, but as soon as they were heading in the direction of the blonde's car, the mayor started to rant,_ "Don't think I'll get into that deathtrap of yours, Miss Swan."_

_"I wouldn't dream of it. We'll walk"_, Emma announced with a smile. The mayor acted exactly the way she had expected and she knew things would not go easy today, but she would try to stay positive. It was her last day in town and Regina would not ruin it.

_"Walk?"_ The brunette looked at Emma in disbelief and the blonde could not stop herself from chuckling, _"Sure. You have two healthy feet. And remember…you have to be nice today."_

* * *

About half an hour later they arrived at the harbor and Regina rolled her eyes in annoyance.

They had walked forever, in complete silence, to get here and watch the waves? That was Emma's big plan?

But then she realized that Emma was heading for one of the sailing boats and Regina stopped dead in her tracks, _"I won't set a foot onto a boat, just so you know."_

Emma turned round to face the mayor, recognizing the fear in the brunette's eyes. What was that about?

_"What? Afraid of water…or are you scared I might kill you?"_

Regina cringed at the statement and the blonde's eyes widened in shock,_ "I want to take you sailing, not drown you. Why is it that you always assume the worst…from everybody?"_

When the brunette did not respond, Emma went back to hand Regina her phone,_ "Henry is at Kathryn's, right? Call her and let her know that we are about to go sailing. And tell her that…if you don't get back to her within few hours…she should send someone to check on you. I'll send her the coordinates of our destination too…if you want."_

Regina was so taken aback by the statement that she did not know what to do or say for the matter, but from what the brunette could tell, Emma seemed to be absolutely serious and honest about her intentions.

Could that be possible? That the blonde truly wanted to spend time with her without an ulterior motive? Simply because she wanted Regina's company?

How absurd that sounded and yet it seemed to be the truth.

And so Regina stepped forward and allowed Emma to help her to get onto the small sailing boat, but the mayor could not stop wondering why the blonde was doing all of this.

It did not make sense, now did it?

* * *

It had taken Emma a while to maneuver the boat out of the harbor, but once the sail was set and they were headed into the right direction, she turned to face Regina, who was standing next to her.

In fact the brunette had watched her every move like a hawk.

_"Do you want something to drink?"_ Emma asked carefully, hoping that Regina would start to relax at some point.

_"No, thanks, dear. But you could answer one question for me",_ Regina commented dryly.

_"Only if you'll answer one of mine."_

The mayor stood there, obviously debating with herself, _"Maybe."_

Emma was aware that this would be the best answer she would get and so she nodded, _"What do you want to know?"_

_"Why are you doing this, Miss Swan? Why was it so important to you to spend a day with me? I mean you could have gotten rid of me by winning that bet…if you would have set different rules…and if you would have won…but still…all you asked for was a day with me…of all people."_

Regina eyed the blonde intensely, searching for an explanation in Emma's eyes, but could not find one. Emma Swan was a closed book to her after all. She could not read her like other people and Regina did not like it one bit. It made her uncomfortable, because Emma was unpredictable and she had no idea what to expect from the infuriating blonde.

_"Well, for one…you are working all the time and I thought you could use some time off. Everybody needs a break from time to time…and",_ Emma took a deep breath, _"And I wanted to get to know you…the real you. All the time. But you were so caught up in fighting me…so I never got the chance."_

_"Now why would you want to get to know me?"_ Regina was surprised again, she could not understand what the blonde could possibly want from her. Nobody was interested in her, nobody had ever cared to ask why she was who she was, why would Emma Swan be any different?

_"You're raising my son. That's why. I wanted to know whom he has ended up with"_, Emma stated quickly, cursing herself that she could not find the courage to tell Regina the whole truth.

_"So, this is all about Henry?"_

_"No, Regina. I came to realize that you are a great mother, that you truly love Henry. You are a different person whenever he is around. You're loving and kind and caring. But when you are by yourself you are cold and unapproachable…that's no way to live. I know that you are lonely, no matter what you might say…I just don't get why you refuse to give someone a chance…to let somebody in."_ Emma knew she had taken it too far, she could tell by the expression on Regina's face.

This whole thing was going so wrong.

* * *

Regina had shut down completely.

Emma's words had cut deep, a lot deeper than she would ever admit.

Letting people in was no option, at least not for her. Not after what had happened with Daniel.

Opening up was something, that requested a lot of trust and the truth was, that Regina Mills trusted no one. At times not even herself.

And so Regina stood next to Emma, silent.

There was no point in letting someone in, especially not Emma – since the blonde would leave town in a few hours.

* * *

For a while neither Regina, nor Emma said a word and the mayor watched the blonde navigating the sailing boat with curiosity.

Where had Emma learned to sail? And why did she even care?

She needed time. She needed a bit of privacy and so Regina made it to the bow, her hands on the railing, her hair moving in the wind. Her eyes darted on the waves Regina began to relax, began to breathe in the fresh air and she felt a certain kind of freedom she had not felt in a long time, she was not even sure if she had ever felt like that before.

But then, all of a sudden, the boat got hit by a larger wave and Regina slipped, which caused her to lose her balance and she tried to prepare herself for the fall, for the pain, but to her surprise it never happened, because strong arms grabbed her from behind and the next thing Regina knew, was that she was pressed against Emma's body.

It was then that the blonde whispered into her ear, _"I've got you."_

For a moment Regina was so startled that she could not move, not even blink.

No one had ever caught her, had ever helped her, had ever been there for her and she was not able to process what had happened just a minute ago.

Emma Swan had saved her.

And Regina did not know what to think of it.

* * *

Not long after the little incident Emma recognized the bay she had been looking for and she began to maneuver the sailing boat into that direction. When she saw the disbelieving expression on the mayor's face, Emma began to smile brightly.

It was possible to surprise Regina Mills after all.

The second they were close enough to the shore Emma dropped the anchor and jumped off the boat, right into the water.

_"Can you hand me the two bags, that are standing right behind you, Regina?"_

The mayor did as she was told and it did not take long and Emma had set everything on the beach, when she came back to the boat and looked at Regina expectantly, _"You coming?"_

_"Are you delusional, Miss Swan? I've asked you before, I know…but I won't jump into the water like a dog…"_

_"I'm aware of that, Madame Mayor. That's why I am here. I'll carry you over."_ Emma chuckled as soon as she saw the weird expression on the brunette's face. Yes, she had managed to confuse Regina a little and she enjoyed every second of it.

* * *

Regina Mills had debated for a while, but in the end she had allowed the blonde to carry her over to the beach and Emma had done it with pride.

Because she had been able to hold the brunette in her arms again, because she had managed to convince Regina to trust her a little.

It was just a small step, but a step forward none-the-less.

Maybe there was still hope.

* * *

Emma had insisted that Regina would call Kathryn and tell her that she was okay and meanwhile the blonde had lit a small campfire and had spread a blanket next to it.

Regina sat down without a word and Emma joined her, careful not to invade the mayor's private space.

For a while both women watched the waves in silence, but Emma knew it was now or never. If she would not act soon it would be too late and so she cleared her throat nervously, _"My mother died when I was thirteen, did you know that?"_

When Regina did not answer she continued, _"We used to go sailing every summer…until she died. After that everything went out of control. My father became an alcoholic and me…well, I've been on my own…met the wrong people, made the wrong choices and became a drug addict."_

_"Why are you telling me all this, Miss Swan?"_ Regina could not see the point of that conversation.

_"I'm trying to make you see that I'm not a bad person. I want you to know why I gave Henry up for adoption"_, Emma explained quickly.

_"Because you had a drug problem…and I already knew that"_, the mayor's voice was harsh, but Regina could not ignore the urge to reach out and squeeze Emma's hand. She did not do it, of course not, but it did not change the fact that she wanted to. And that confused the brunette more than she was willing to admit.

_"When I met Neal…well, he made me stop…he helped me with the whole rehab crap…helped me to get back on track. But then I got pregnant…and he left"_, a single tear made it down Emma's cheek, _"I had no job, no money, no place to stay…nothing. And that's how I ended up in jail…because I got caught stealing stuff…more than once,"_ Emma dropped her head, because she felt so ashamed and embarrassed, _"That's why I thought Henry would be better off without me…and obviously I did the right thing. I could have never given him the life you are providing him. Thanks for thanking such good care of my son."_

Regina nodded, but she was not able to say a word. Emma had rendered her speechless.

The blonde had been so sincere, so serious and the mayor knew that Emma had told the truth, about everything. Even about being glad that Henry was the brunette's son now.

And yet Regina did not feel up to revealing her own past, _"If you think I'll tell you anything private in return…then you are wrong. Especially since you are leaving tonight."_

_"You would never tell me anything, Regina. No matter if I stayed or not. I've been here for a year and you did not give me a chance. You accused me of stealing away your son…before you even talked to me. You don't know who I am…you never tried to get to know me. You don't give anyone a chance. I think that's sad…but it is who you are. And I respect that, because believe it or not…I respect you"_, Emma commented, more serious than ever,_ "And if you ever cared to share one of your secrets with me…you would have been safe. Now more than ever…because whom should I tell a thing…since I'm leaving…I don't even get to see anyone other than you today."_

* * *

The sound of the waves had been the only audible thing for a while, but then Emma had poured Regina a glass of wine and had opened some containers of food, because it had been time for lunch.

Everything had been truly delicious and the mayor had been surprised to hear that Emma had prepared every dish on her own.

And during their lunch the blonde had managed to Regina to talk – nothing deep, but they had indeed shared a conversation about their favorite books and music, about movies and art.

Needless to say that they had not much in common since Regina was all about opera and classic, whether it was about books or movies or anything else. And Emma Swan, well she was most likely the opposite. She preferred everything modern over "the boring, old crap", but at least they had come to agree that Meryl Streep was the best actress of all time.

And so they had shared a nice afternoon with some arguing and a lot of laughter, although Regina clearly had been more amused than Emma, simply because the blonde's ignorance had led to more than a playful banter.

But all good things came to an end at some point and once Emma had carried Regina back over to the sail boat the brunette realized that the day had went a lot better than she would have ever imagined.

When the sail was set and the boat was in motion to bring them back home Regina sat down next to Emma, feeling a sudden urge to explain to the blonde why she acted how she acted,_ "My father left my mother when I was eight, because she wasn't exactly a nice person. She was cold-hearted and strict. And she was the mayor of Storybrooke. The only important thing for her was power and how to gain more. I wasn't allowed to play outside or anything, so I guess it's needless to explain that I didn't really have friends. My life was about obedience and discipline...I was sad and I was lonely, but there was no escape for me. And then…one day…after my riding lesson…I was almost nineteen…I met Daniel at the stables. He was the new stable boy and he had this nice and charming way. He was such a handsome boy and I couldn't believe that he liked me, that he could be interested in me, but I fell in love with him none-the-less."_

Emma stood there, listening, aware that what was happening at the moment, was practically magical, because Regina Mills was the most private person she had ever met. She did not dare to say a word, because she was scared she would break the spell by speaking up.

And it seemed that she had done the right thing, because after a minute and a deep breath the mayor continued,_ "We were in love. Or that was what I believed, but then…one day my mother caught us kissing at the stables. I've never seen her that mad before. A stable boy had been way beyond her standards and she had gotten so furious, she broke both of my arms that day. And I got that scar on my upper lip as well, because she threw me against a wall. But that wasn't even the worst…I heard Daniel blackmailing her…that he would tell everyone about our little affair and mother paid him a lot of money to keep him quite. The next day he left Storybrooke and I never saw him again. Turned out that I had went straight into his little trap…he had wanted nothing, but to leave. And I had been his ticket out. So, the one time somebody had been interested in me…the one time I had dared to trust somebody…I had gotten stabbed in the back and betrayed. And that day I swore to myself that I would never let that happen again. So when my mother died…about two years later…because of a heart attack…I left and went to college in Boston and when I came back I ran for the Mayor's office. I promised that I would never become such an unapproachable bitch than she was…seems I've failed."_

Tears were running down Regina's face and Emma could not resist to cup the mayor's cheek with her hand, _"I'm so sorry, Regina. That's horrible and nobody should get treated this way. Nobody deserves that. And you are wrong…look at Henry…you have never hurt him and you've been a great mom. He loves you…he might not show it all the time, but he does. You always did right by him. You have huge trust issues, which I totally understand…because for one…I have them too…and second, who would be able to trust easily after what you've been through."_

Regina nodded and turned away, not able to handle being so close to somebody, so open, vulnerable and exposed, but Emma Swan had it made so easy for her to open up, to talk about all her pain. And to her own surprise she felt relieved, felt as if somebody had lifted these huge weight from her shoulders.

If Regina was honest she almost felt free – for the first time in years.

* * *

By the time they returned to Storybrooke the sun was already going down.

Once Regina had actual ground under her feet she started to pace, because she was confused. If someone would have told her that she would spend a day with Emma Swan, a day she enjoyed, she would have called them crazy, but it had become reality none-the-less.

But now the blonde would leave town. Forever.

Sure, she could ask Emma to stay, but why would she do that? One day of fun did not make up for a year of arguing and nightmares, now did it?

Of course at least the half of it had been her own fault, but still. Emma could have made an attempt to make peace earlier, but would she have listened then?

Regina shook her head, because she was afraid that she would lose her mind. Her thoughts were one big jumble and she did not even understand why.  
Probably because of all the heavy talk earlier?

* * *

Their walk back to the mansion had been a silent one again, because both women had been too lost in thought to actually talk.

Now that Emma was standing in front of her bug, Regina recognized the suitcase and the few boxes of the blonde's belongings and she felt a lump in her throat.

Emma Swan would stick to her word and would leave town – although they had shared a beautiful day together, although they had this moment of closeness, this moment of showing their true selves.

_"Thank you for today, Regina. It meant more to me than you'll ever know"_, Emma announced all of a sudden, sounding pretty insecure, _"I…uhm…better get going…it's a long drive…"_

_"Where are you going?"_

Emma gave Regina a sad smile, _"Honestly? I have no idea. I gave up everything when I moved to Storybrooke…a year ago. So nobody and nothing is waiting for me…I'll just drive and see where I'll end up."_

The brunette nodded, but she did not know what to say. A part of her wanted to ask Emma to stay, but she could not bring herself to actually say it out loud,_ "Well, then…Miss Swan. Have a safe trip to wherever you go. Thank you for taking the time and making the effort…after all that has happened between us…to…to actually get to know me. A little."_

It was Emma's turn to nod and she felt awkward, because she wanted to hug Regina, wanted to hold her in her arms one last time, but she did not dare to move.

And so they stood there for a while, staring in the eyes of one another, caught up in them.

Until the first rain drop fell.

_"I should go. Good bye, Regina. Tell Henry that I love him."_

Before the mayor could have responded anything Emma had gotten into her car and had started the engine, which left Regina standing in the rain, watching the yellow bug disappear in the distance only a few minutes later.

* * *

Regina had fled to her study and had poured herself a glass of cider the moment she had entered the mansion.

She was shaken by the sudden realization that getting rid of Emma Swan did not feel half as good as she had thought, especially not after today.

What had happened, what had changed within a single day?

She could not understand it, not even name it, but Regina Mills knew that Emma leaving Storybrooke was all kinds of wrong.

But it was too late.

* * *

Emma had thought about turning round, about going back to the mansion, about confessing her love for Regina, but she had not found the courage to do so.

She had tried to say it all day long, but the right moment never came and so Emma had stayed silent about her feelings.

Maybe it was better this way anyway.

Because now she had a few truly precious memories with Regina and she would keep them in her heart forever. She had found a way to end this whole drama on a somehow good note and that meant everything to Emma.

If she would have told Regina that she was in love with her, the mayor probably would have laughed about her, would have called her crazy or worse.

So it was definitely better to leave like this.

But that did not mean that it did not hurt, because in fact it did. It hurt like hell.

She was not a person to cry a lot, but when Emma Swan crossed the town line and left Storybrooke, her first tear fell.

* * *

_"Mom?!"_ Henry entered the mansion, but Regina was nowhere to be seen. He had expected dinner to be ready by now, but obviously that was not the case.

So he made his way to the study and knocked without success. No answer.

But Henry was pretty sure that Regina was in there and that made him open the door carefully, but once he caught sight of his mother, he stopped dead.

Regina was sitting in her chair, eyes closed, an empty glass in hand and Henry sensed that she was feeling miserable, _"Mom, are you okay?"_

At the sound of her son's voice, the mayor jumped up, dropping the glass in the progress, but she did not care. Eyes wide she glared at Henry, who was eyeing her closely, _"Yes. I am okay. Seems I forgot time. I better start cooking."_

She headed towards the door, passed her startled son, but Henry made her stop before she could have disappeared in the kitchen though,_ "Where is Emma?"_

_"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but Miss Swan left town about an hour ago."_

_"Why? Didn't you have a nice day together?"_ His face had fallen at his mother's comment and he tried his hardest not to cry.

_"We did. We actually had a great day together."_ Why she had admitted that so easily was beyond Regina, so she added,_ "But Miss Swan and I had an agreement and she kept her promise."_

_"I see"_, Henry countered rather devastated, but then he looked his mother straight in the eyes,_ "I'm truly sorry for you."_

_"Excuse me? Why are you sorry for me?"_ Now Regina was really confused. What was going on?

Henry sighed,_ "I'm sorry, because you did not find the courage to ask her…to stay. Emma wanted to tell you that she is in love with you, but I guess you know that, right?!"_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hello everybody,_

_I've spent a lot of time thinking the last couple of days._

_And while I'm a very private person I decided to share a piece of my past with you today._

_A piece that changed my life forever._

_My cousin, who happened to be like a brother to me, killed himself 5 years ago today._

_And no, I'm not sharing this with you because I want pity or something like that._

_But I'm sharing this because I've realized that there is so much the in the fandom lately._

_Not only in the OUAT fandom, also in some others I'm involved._

_People attacking the writers, attacking the actors, attacking other fans._

_What the hell is wrong with people these days?_

_Writers get threatened because they realize their own visions, not what fans want to see. Actors get threatened for their opinions (and clearly they cannot please everyone), fans get threatened because they support their favorites and some people can't stand that._

_What's wrong with the world?_

_Everybody sees things differently. And everybody should be mature enough to accept that._

_And for the rest we have fanfiction._

_We can bring things to life the way we see it in our own stories._

_Sure, it would be amazing to see SQ happen…or Rizzles to name another example…but if it does not happen…it's not the end of the world._

_We can still write it. And let's face it – there are some great stories and writers out there._

_So, stop the hate and stick together…support each other and your favorite shows to keep them going!_

_Which brings me back to the main reason for this statement._

_We are living in a world, where people are pretty much self-centered and egoistic. And we are living in a world, where bullying becomes worse with every day that goes by._

_A lot of people suffer from depression and something like that. And a lot of people feel left alone._

_Please, try to be a little me observant…and be kind to one another. Help each other. And listen._

_Listen closely, pay attention to the people who are willing to share something with you._

_Sometimes it can make all the difference._

_If anybody ever needs to talk…or needs somebody to listen…please ask for help._

_Life is so very precious, don't throw it away._

___Feel free to send me a message on here…or catch me on twitter (theycallmeraven)._

_So, if somebody feels like talking or something…I promise I will answer as soon as I can. And I also promise to make the time to talk to you!_

_Have a great Sunday everyone!_

_Much love,_

_Raven_

* * *

_I know I said it would be three parts...well, turned out it will be some more xD_

**The Bet**

**- Part III**

"Henry, what are you talking about? Emma…in love with me? That's absurd."

But Regina could not ignore the jumble her thoughts had become within seconds.

"I know it's a bit weird…but she meant to tell you…that's why she wanted that day with you so bad…because…because she never found the courage to ask you out…" Henry explained what Emma had not dared to say in all this time.

Regina glared at her son in disbelief and shock, frozen to the spot.

She felt like somebody had pulled the rug from under her feet, as if her whole world would fall apart and she did not even know why.

"I think it's sad…because you spent so much time on fighting…and arguing…if you would have given her a chance…well, you might have come to like Emma…like really like her."

That said Henry disappeared to the safety of his room.

* * *

Regina was preparing dinner, but she could not really focus on chopping vegetables, because she was confused.

Nothing made sense to her.

Emma Swan was in love with her.

How the hell had that happened?

First Regina had thought that it had to be a joke, but Henry had seemed so sincere and her son would not fool her like this, now would he?

How was is possible that somebody had fallen in love with her at all?

Especially Emma Swan of all people.

She had been nothing, but hard on the blonde. She had treated her like crap since her arrival in town. She had never done anything nice for Emma, had never shown her much respect and yet the blonde had fallen in love with her?

Regina could not wrap her head around that fact and she did not even understand why she actually cared.

Sure, they had spent a truly beautiful day together and Regina had felt very comfortable in Emma's presence, even with the heavy talk, but that had been because she had known that Emma would leave town, right?

Being in Emma's arms had felt surprisingly good and right, she had to admit that and there even had been this one moment when she had thought about kissing the blonde…whoa!

She had what?!

Regina's heart started to beat out of her chest at the sudden realization, because she had never expected that.

Had she really been thinking about that? Or was her brain just messing with her because of Henry's statement about Emma's feelings?

She clearly did not know.

"Mom, you're bleeding!"

Regina jumped at her son's voice and took a look at her hands, just to see the blood running from her left one.

How had that happened? She never cut herself. Not ever.

* * *

Henry had talked her into going to the hospital because the cut had been rather deep and now that Regina left the building with her stitched and bandaged hand she was not in the mood to go home.

Her son was staying with Granny anyway, she had dropped him off on her way to see Doctor Whale, so nothing was waiting for her in her mansion.

And that's why Regina decided to stop at the diner - to grab a bite. Doctor's orders because she had lost quite some blood "thanks" to the cut on her palm.

But the second she arrived at the diner and caught sight of Mary Margaret Blanchard, who was sitting on a barstool at the counter, discussing with Ruby Lucas, Regina regretted her decision, but it was too late.

She was already standing in the middle of the room, earning nothing, but blaming stares from all the guests.

Regina was aware that everybody knew that it was her fault that Emma Swan had left town.

And it was.

Obviously it was her fault completely – on every level.

"Madame Mayor! What happened to your hand? Are you okay?" Ruby asked, sounding almost concerned and waved Regina over to the counter.

And since the brunette did not know what else to do she took a seat on the one available barstool, which was unfortunately the one next to Mary Margaret, "I was careless with the kitchen knife."

Ruby and the teacher nodded in understanding and continued their chatter about how Storybrooke needed a new Sheriff, while Regina tried to focus on the menu.

But the truth was that she could not concentrate at all.

All Regina could do was to think about a certain blonde Sheriff, who had left some hours ago.

"So, what can I get you, Madame Mayor?"

Ruby's words had her out of her thoughts in an instant, "I'll take a cheeseburger, fries and a Scotch."

Both, Ruby and Mary Margaret stared at Regina in disbelief, because Regina had never ordered anything else than salad.

A cheeseburger and fries – that was what Emma would have ordered, but Regina?

Never.

And yet that was what the mayor had said.

"Is something wrong?" Regina could not stop herself from asking, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Everything's fine", Ruby answered quickly and turned to pour Regina a glass of Scotch.

"You know what…make that a double", the mayor stated without giving it a second thought.

* * *

Regina was on her third glass of Scotch by the time Ruby brought her burger and fries, but that did not stop the mayor from ordering another one.

The waitress eyed her suspiciously, but Regina ignored her and took a big bite of her cheeseburger, immediately drowning in the sensation of its taste.

Why had she forbidden herself to eat stuff like that? Of course she knew exactly why, but she would not go there today. Cora was a topic for another day.

She had seen Emma eat cheeseburgers for a year and she had always been kind of jealous, because the blonde seemed to enjoy everything she did while Regina was stuck with all her rules and discipline.

And now that Emma was gone she started to feel rebellious? Was it possible that she had ordered a cheeseburger because it reminded her of Emma, because it made her feel closer to the blonde?

What?!

Regina was shocked by her own thoughts, but she could not get rid of them, no matter how hard she tried.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Mary Margaret placed her hand on Regina's arm to get her attention.

Normally Regina would have gotten furious if somebody, especially Mary Margaret, touched her, but today she simply had it not in her anymore. She was worn out, confused and scared.

Scared that she might have made the biggest mistake of her life by forcing Emma Swan to leave town.

To leave town forever.

"I'm…I…it's just…did you…did you know that she….that Emma had feelings for me?"

Regina had to know, she had to sort out her thoughts, but for that she needed answers, needed an explanation.

"I guess pretty much everybody in Storybrooke knows", Ruby stated the obvious and put two more tumblers on the counter, which she filled with Scotch. And without asking she refilled Regina's as well.

"But how is that even possible? And how could I not know?" Regina sounded desperate, but right this moment she did not care. Whether it was the alcohol or her emotional state of mind, she did not know.

"You were too busy hating her and getting her out of town", Mary Margaret commented dryly and took a sip of her glass.

"I don't hate her…I never hated her", Regina tried to defend herself, not sure why she felt the need to do so, "It's just…she's so infuriating…and she…somehow she managed to get under my skin…really get under my skin…even with all my walls…and I did not know how to handle it. And I was so scared that she would take Henry away from me."

* * *

Regina was not sure how much more Scotch she had put into her system, but what she knew was that Mary Margaret and Ruby had shared a lot of stories with her over drinking.

Stories about Emma.

Stories she found absolutely endearing.

But why now?

Emma had been right in front of her nose all this time and she had never seen her as anything, but a threat.

And now that she finally realized how lucky she should have been to have Emma Swan in her life, the blonde was gone.

Classy.

Life was showing her once more how much it sucked.

How she would never get something like a happy ending.

Not even close.

To hell with it.

To hell with it all.

"I think I better get going…" Regina slid from the stool, just to realize how dizzy she was.

"You can't drive…just so you know", Ruby announced and took the mayor's car keys away, "You can pick them up tomorrow."

Regina wanted to snap, wanted to bark, but she was aware that she was nowhere near able to drive. She was not even sure if she would be able to make it home on her feet.

Mary Margaret grabbed the mayor's arm in a bold move, "I'll bring her home, don't worry."

* * *

It had taken them a while to reach Mifflin Street, simply because Regina had stumbled over her own feet more than once.

Any other day she would have been totally embarrassed that she had acted so graceless and idiotic, but not today.

Today she felt so vulnerable and defenseless that she was actually glad that Mary Margaret had offered to bring her home.

Had hell frozen over?

Once they reached Regina's front door, the mayor leaned against it for support because she felt like fainting, "Th-thank you…Miss Blanchard."

It had been easier to say it than she had expected, but when she saw the pitiful expression on the teacher's face, Regina started to feel uncomfortable again.

"You love her, don't you?" Mary Margaret whispered out of the blue, "You love Emma, but you haven't realized it…till she was gone…"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't…" but Regina could not continue the sentence, because the truth was she did not know.

Or maybe she knew and was not ready to face it.

And Mary Margaret saw right through her, "You know…you could always find her…and you could bring her back."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews, the follows and favorites everyone! I really appreciate the ongoing support for my stories :))) xoxo raven_

* * *

**The Bet**

**- Part IV**

Mary Margaret had left a while ago, but Regina was still standing on her porch, the pixie-haired woman's words running through her head mantra-like.

"You know…you could always find her…and you could bring her back."

That was ridiculous, absurd even.

Regina Mills was not a woman, who begged. Or who ran after somebody for that matter.

Why would she chase after Emma Swan?

After Emma Swan of all people?

Sure, she was thrown by the recent revelations, but it was a rather theoretical thing altogether.

Because while it might be true that Emma had fallen in love with her, although only God knew how that would be possible, there was a fair chance that Regina did not have feelings for the blonde.

Not at all.

Sure, she felt strange since Henry had pointed out to her that Emma loved her, but why?

Did she really care or was it just the surprise, the absurdity of the situation that the woman, who should hate her the most, had become emotionally attached to her?

Her thoughts were one big jumble and Regina did not like it one bit.

She had enjoyed the day with Emma Swan more than she had ever thought possible, yes. And she had even come to the realization that she trusted the blonde more than she would ever care to admit, but was it possible that she was in love with Emma Swan?

The truth was she did not know. She was nowhere near sure what she was feeling. Suggestions were quite powerful and maybe it was just the prospect of somebody loving her for once, which made her consider all this?

Maybe, deep down, she longed so much for a happy ending, that she did not care with whom she would get it at this point?

Maybe it was not about Emma Swan at all, just about finding love for a change?

So, there was no point in bringing the blonde back, now was there?

It would be nothing, but cruel to bring Emma back, to get her hopes up, because Regina was not sure what she wanted.

And if she would come to the conclusion that the former Sheriff clearly was not for her, how would Emma react?

It would do nothing, but hurt her.

No, it was better this way.

Emma could start a new life now.

Somewhere else.

With somebody else.

If Regina would have been able to be honest with herself she would have known that she did not like that idea one bit, but she was nowhere near ready to face that nor what it meant.

* * *

_Two days later_

Regina was sitting in her office, rubbing her temples.

She was tired and exhausted and that nasty headache made it even worse.

Tons of paperwork were waiting for her, but Regina could not focus on anything.

She had not slept since Emma had left town and it started to drive her crazy.

Her thoughts became more and more confusing, she clearly needed to sort them out at some point.

But how?

Emma was gone and she would not, under no circumstances, call her and ask her to come back.

Her pride would always be in the way anyway.

Right that moment Ruby Lucas stormed into her office without knocking and Regina was about to snap at her, but then she saw the furious expression on the leggy brunette's face, "Madame Mayor, we have a problem!"

"What is it?"

"We need a Sheriff..." Ruby stated the obvious.

"I know", Regina dropped her head, because she could not have this discussion now. She was so not in the mood for that.

"No, you don't understand. We need a Sheriff…right now! There's been a car crash down the street…we really need someone…"

Regina opened the drawer of her desk and grabbed the badge.

The badge, which had been on Emma Swan's belt till she had been forced to leave town. The badge she had needed to hide from her sight, because she could not bear to look at it.

She handed it over to a very surprised Ruby, because what other options did she have? The town needed a Sheriff and Emma would not come back, "Congratulations, Miss Lucas. You've been promoted. And since you have a lot of experience being the deputy already…I guess you will be able to handle this?"

"Uhm…yeah…I guess so", Ruby grabbed the badge hesitantly, obviously more than just uncomfortable. Probably because it felt wrong to her to replace her friend.

It felt wrong to Regina too – to replace the blonde for real.

But she had no choice.

* * *

A week had past when Regina could not take it any longer.

A week with the new Sheriff had her on the very edge.

She could not stand Ruby Lucas' wide smile, her too enthusiastic behavior, her choice of clothes.

Nothing.

Not even the fact that the leggy brunette had managed to finish all her reports on time had been satisfying.

Regina missed the sight of curly, blonde locks, the shy smile, the caring tone in Emma's voice.

She even missed that red leather jacket.

And she came to realize that she would do pretty much anything to get to yell at the former Sheriff, because she was late on reports once again.

Hell, she would even take the time to help Emma do them.

She had been dreaming about Emma Swan whenever she had closed her eyes and Regina slowly began to realize what it meant.

Obviously she was on her best way to fall in love with the blonde, maybe she had been in love with her all along.

Truth be told, she missed Emma Swan more than she ever thought possible.

And although she had sworn to herself that she would never ran after somebody, she had tried to call Emma this morning.

Just to learn that the number was no longer available.

First she had been disappointed, but then Regina had decided that she was up for the challenge. She would find Emma Swan.

Bounty Hunter or not, she would find her.

She needed to find her.

And more than that – she wanted to find her.

Life of course was never that easy and by the time she left the office that afternoon Regina had to admit that finding Emma would be a lot harder than she had expected.

No hint, no trace, nothing had come up all day.

As if the blonde would be a ghost.

Should that really be the end?

Regina almost believed it, because life had never worked out for her, at least not the way she had wanted.

Why would it change now?

The worst was that she could not blame it on anyone, but herself this time.

She had thrown her chance on love out of the window, she had made the one person capable of loving her leave town.

* * *

Regina sat in her study this evening, a glass of apple cider in hand, wondering how things would have turned out if she would have asked Emma to stay that day.

Because she had considered it for a moment and she knew it.

How things would have turned out if she would have been more open-minded, if she had given Emma Swan a real chance.

Would they be together now?

Would they be happy?

Regina frowned at the thought before she started to laugh bitterly.

The bare idea of somebody finding their happiness with her was utterly ridiculous, wasn't it?

Emma was better off without her, definitely.

And yet she wanted her back.

She wanted Emma Swan back.

Back in town, back in her life.

Because she could not deny the fact that she indeed missed the blonde, that she craved for her presence more and more with every day that went by.

Did she love her?

Love was a really big word, especially considering the fact that she just recently had come to the realization that she cared for Emma Swan, that she cared for her a lot – at lot more than she was ready to admit.

She might not love her, but Regina was sure that she could – that she indeed could love Emma Swan.

But since the blonde had decided to disappear completely, what were her options?

"Mom, are you okay?" Henry stood in the doorway and mustered her intensely and Regina was surprised by his sudden appearance, because he had not really spoken to her in days.

"Yes…yes, I'm fine. Do you need anything?" she managed to say, her voice almost steady.

Almost.

"You miss her too, don't you? You miss Emma." He stated silently, not sure how his mother would react.

She considered to lie for a second, to deny it, but what would it change? Henry clearly could read her like nobody else, so she nodded, "I do…you are right. I really miss Miss Swan."

"Then bring her back!" Henry stepped closer, his mind already made up.

"I don't know where she is, Sweetheart. I really tried to find her…I did. But I have no idea where she could possibly be", Regina admitted honestly.

And right that moment she realized that by disappearing Emma had also abandoned Henry. Kind of.

What if there was an emergency? She would have no idea how to reach her.

It was exactly that thought that turned Regina's rising devastation into anger and she swore to herself that she would kick Emma Swan's ass for being so irresponsible – once she found her of course.

And that she would.

* * *

The next few days had not brought any success and Regina was close to losing her mind. How hard could it be to find someone?

But truth be told – the search for Emma Swan had become ridiculously difficult.

If somebody knew how to hide well it clearly was a bounty hunter and Regina reminded herself to never underestimate the blonde again.

That realization was not helping her at all though, so Regina decided that she had no other choice.

She had to ask Mary Margaret and/or Ruby Lucas for help. If somebody knew where Emma could be it had to be them.

It was the last option, the one she had never wanted to use.

And yet she was on her way to the diner, all pride forgotten, eager to find a certain blonde, who had shaken her whole world by her disappearance.

Regina was almost there when she caught sight of Mary Margaret, who stood only a few feet away from the diner, chatting with Granny and so she stalked over to the two surprised women, knowing full-well that she would be the town gossip the next day.

But as soon as she reached them Granny excused herself, because she had work to do and headed off in the direction of the Bed & Breakfast.

"Regina! I was on the way to visit Ruby. Care to join me?" Mary Margaret offered with a sympathetic smile.

"I could use a coffee, but I'd appreciate it if I could ask you something first, Miss Blanchard", Regina stated dryly.

"Of course. What do you want to know?"

"Is there any chance that you know where…where Miss…Miss Swan is?" Regina finally managed to say and felt exposed and vulnerable all of a sudden. Needless to say that she did not like it one bit.

"No, I'm sorry. I haven't heard from Emma since…wait! Does that mean that you…" Mary Margaret glared at the mayor when Regina's words finally sunk in.

"It has nothing to do with me, Miss Blanchard. But my son wants to know if his mom is alright. And since he couldn't reach her via phone he is slightly worried…which I assume you can understand…especially under the circumstances", Regina stated awkwardly, fully aware that Mary Margaret did not believe her at all.

"Let's go, ask Ruby! If someone knows where Emma is…then it's her!" the pixie-haired woman announced and pulled Regina with her.

As soon as they entered the diner Regina felt her hopes rising and her excitement growing - the leggy waitress and former deputy, now sheriff, simply had to know something.

And then she would find Emma.

She would find her, would bring her back and would never let her go again.

But then Ruby, who had been talking on the phone, let said phone fall to the floor, her face pale, her hands shivering and Regina knew right then that life had thrown her a curveball.

Again.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked, sorrow swinging in her voice.

For a while the waitress said nothing, did not even breathe, but when Regina took a seat, simply because she felt her legs giving up on her, Ruby cleared her throat, still shocked, "That was…that was…I'm still…still her emergency…contact."

"Who's? What happened?" Mary Margaret tried again, but Regina already knew the answer and Ruby confirmed her suspicions only a second later, "Emma's. That was…it was the hospital in…in…somewhere…near Boston…Emma…she's been shot."


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_I'd like to ask you for something today._

_Can all of you please say a prayer for my dear friends MG and Gabi today? Their mom is in hospital and she is really not doing well - so the three of them can us all the good vibes, support and prayers they can get. _

_I'd really appreciate your support! _

_Thank you!_

_Hope everyone is well...much love to all of you! You rock!_

_Raven_

* * *

_Just a short piece today - I hope you don't mind._

_The next won will be longer, definitely. _

**The Bet  
-Part V**

Regina could not move, could not even blink.

She sat on the bar stool, frozen to the spot, her heart racing in her chest.

Emma had been shot.

And it had to be bad or why else would the hospital call her emergency contact?

"How is she?" Mary Margaret asked, sounding close to getting hysterical.

"She's still in surgery. That's all I know", Ruby stated, "I better get going..somebody has to be there if…"

She had not dared to say anything else and so Ruby grabbed her car keys, ready to storm out of the diner.

"Call as soon as you know anything, okay?" Mary Margaret demanded and Ruby nodded in understanding, but disappeared only a second later - without bothering to say Good bye.

* * *

Regina had spent all night in her study, drinking.

Her thoughts had been one big jumble after she had found out that Emma had been wounded.

Where had it happened and why?

The worst was that Regina was fully aware of the fact that nothing would have happened to Emma if she had not forced her to leave town in the first place.

And the feeling of guilt made everything so much worse.

Especially since she was not used to feeling like that. She had never cared much about other people or about the consequences for others, but now everything was different.

What should she tell Henry?

And why did Ruby not call?

* * *

Regina spent the whole next day waiting for a call from Ruby Lucas, but none came.

Was it really that bad?

Was it possible that Emma was…

She did not even dare to think that sentence to the end.

But what if Emma really had been injured badly? If she would never get a chance to talk to her again?

* * *

She had not dared to tell Henry - for one because she was aware that he would go back to ignoring her, would go back to blaming her for everything, and even if he had every right to do so, she could not handle it today.  
And the other reason was that Regina had not even known what to tell her son, simply because she knew nothing about Emma's condition.  
But Henry must have sensed that something was up, because he had went straight for his room right after dinner and Regina had not seem him again for the rest of the evening.

Which had left her alone with her thoughts once again.

* * *

Sbe was on her third glass of Scotch and it was close to midnight, but Regina knew that she would not be able to sleep anyway.  
As soon as she would close her eyes she would see Emma and she could not bear any more reminders of the blonde, it was simply too cruel.

The sound of her cell phone made her jump in her chair and Regina's heart skipped a beat.  
Was that the call she had been waiting for?  
It had to be Ruby - who else would call her in the middle of the night?  
But would that call bring relief or would it turn her life into an even bigger hell?

A glimpse at the display revealed that the caller was not whom she had expected, but that it was Mary Margaret instead.

Regina's heart sank, but she grabbed the phone anyway, confused as to why the pixie - haired teacher would call her at this godforbidden hour.

"Miss Blanchard", the mayor stated the obvious.

"Regina, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I hope I didn't wake you, but we need to talk to you."

"Can't that wait till the morning?" Regina growled.

"No, it's really important."

"Well, what is it, dear?"

"Could you...uhm...please...come outside? We are already standing on your porch, but we didn't dare to ring...because we didn't want to wake Henry."

Regina almost dropped the phone.  
We?  
Who was out there and why?  
Clearly it had to be bad if Mary Margaret had not come by herself.

By the time she left her study her whole body was trembling, but Regina tried to ignore it as good as she could and made her way to the front door.

Opening it carefully so she would not wake up her son Regina Mills expected the worst on the other side of the door.

And that was when she met the faces of Mary Margaret Blanchard, David Nolan and Ruby Lucas.

The trio was standing there, worried expressions on their faces and Regina felt the knot in her stomach tighten.  
So, Ruby was back and she had brought her two best friends for support to talk to her?

That could mean only one thing, right?

"Regina, I need to talk to you", Ruby started carefully and Regina was sure she knew what was about to come.

"I know you said Emma was never to return to Storybrooke, but considering the circumstances...I thought you might...rethink your decision. Because she can't stay on her own right now...she needs help. And she has no one in Boston. All her friends are here", Ruby explained calmly and Regina did not dare to move or even blink.

That had to mean that Emma was alive, right?

"I'm not sure I understand, Miss Lucas..."  
It was literally all she was able to say, because Regina's head was spinning.

"Emma has suffered a really bad concussion and has been shot in the shoulder. So her right arm is currently in a sling. And she has injured her knee as well, so she is limping badly...not to mention her bruises...but it will heal in time...she just needs some support for a while", the leggy brunette stated quickly.

"I see."  
Regina let out the breath she had not been aware she was holding and the extreme tension left her body.  
She was relieved, really relieved. Actually she was so relieved that she wanted to cry.

For a moment she had thought Emma was dead.  
Thank God she was not.

"I can take her to the Bed & Breakfast...and I will take care of her. David and Mary Margaret will help...you don't even have to see her...just...just let us help her", Ruby begged, obviously desperate.

"Very well, Miss Lucas. Bring Miss Swan to Storybrooke then."

"Uhm...actually...she is already...here?" the leggy brunette sounded insecure and ducked her head, ready for Regina's outburst of anger, which did not come.

"Where is she?"  
Regina demanded to know, eager to see Emma again, but she would not share this piece of information with the trio infernale in front of her.

"She's in my car. Sleeping. The pain meds knocked her out...that's why I was able to bring her back, because she would have never agreed to..."

"Miss Swan doesn't know that you brought her back?" Regina furrowed her brow, "You practically kidnapped her..."

"We all know how Emma is, Regina. She is too stubborn to admit that she needs help", Mary Margaret added with a small smile.

"I'll just bring her over to Granny's and talk to her when she wakes up in the morning", Ruby commented, hoping it would convince Regina.

But the mayor did not pay much attention, because she needed all her willpower to surpress the urge to run to Ruby's car and pull Emma into her arms.  
And she had to force herself to stay calm, because the thought of Ruby Lucas spending the night watching Emma, Ruby helping Emma to get upstairs...  
No!  
She did not like the idea one bit.

"I think it would be better if Miss Swan stayed at my house", Regina stated before she even realized what she was doing.

"What?!" Ruby glared at the mayor in disbelief while David's mouth hung open and Mary Margaret tilted her head in confusion.

"Miss Blanchard works at the school, Mister Nolan at the shelter and you, Miss Lucas, have shifts at the diner and the station...how do you think you will be able to take care of Miss Swan?" Regina watched the trio in front of her expectantly, but nobody dared to speak, "That's what I thought. I on the other hand can get my work done in my home office. And I will call Doctor Whale in the morning...to hire a nurse."

"Now why would you do that?" David blurted out.

"Because Miss Swan is the mother of my son", Regina replied, not willing to give anything about her emotional state away, "Henry will be thrilled to have her here...and I think it will speed up Miss Swan's healing process as well. To be around her son."

"You have a point here", Mary Margaret stated and nodded in appreciation.

When nobody else said anything Regina cleared her throat, trying to hide the triumphant smirk on her face, "Very well then. It's settled. Miss Swann will stay with me."


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello everyone,_

_sorry for my long absence, but as I already said with my "Take me to Wonderland" update - the puppies are really keeping me busy._

_It's a rather busy time with two huskies and 7 little "wolves", but I enjoy every second of it._

_It's an amazing experience to watch the little ones grow up...I wouldn't want to miss a second of it._

_Anyway...here is the next chapter of "The Bet". I hope you'll enjoy it._

_The story will end with the next chapter though._

_Thanks for your patience and understanding - I will answer reviews and messages tomorrow._

_Hope everyone is well!_

_much love to everyone,_

_raven_

* * *

**The Bet**

**-Part VI**

David had carried the sleeping blonde upstairs and now that Regina was alone with Emma Swan she did not know what to do.

Emma was lying on the bed, bruises covering her face and arms, probably even the rest of her body, and a feeling of guilt washed over Regina as she watched her, standing in the doorframe.

If she would not have sent the blonde away, she would not be in this state right now. Emma would have never left Storybrooke and maybe, just maybe – if she would have listened more closely, if she had cared to read between the lines – they would be…

Well, what?

Together?

It sounded so absurd and Regina still did not know what or how she felt for Emma Swan, but now that the blonde was back she had a chance to figure it out.

Regina knew she should go to bed, to get some rest, but she could not bring herself to leave the room, so instead of heading into her bedroom she sat down on the edge of the guestroom bed, convincing herself that it would be better to be here if Emma woke up during the night.

The minutes ticked away, but Regina could not take her eyes off Emma's sleeping form, especially since the blonde looked quite peaceful - despite all her injuries.

How would she react once she found out that she was back in Storybrooke, in the mayor's guestroom no less?

And Regina caught herself, eager to reach out to touch Emma's cheek, to move the strand of blonde locks out of her face, but she pulled her hand back before it could have made contact with its desired target.

For one because she did not want to wake Emma, but mostly out of fear that the blonde would not react well to her touch.

Truth be told, Regina Mills was scared to death, because she was not used to feel like this, to crave to touch someone, to seek somebody's presence and comfort.

* * *

She had sat there, watching Emma sleep till the morning, fantasizing about how it would feel to be able to touch the blonde, but Regina knew that it might never become a reality.

Now that she was standing in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for Henry, she wondered how he would react to the news of Emma's return?

Clearly he would be ecstatic, but what would that mean for her? What would that mean for them?

He had always preferred Emma over her – from the day she had set foot in this town.

Would she lose Henry completely?

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Henry's sudden appearance startled her and she almost dropped his bowl with cereal, but Regina managed to compose herself within a second, putting her façade back in place, "Sit down, sweetheart. There is something I have to tell you."

* * *

Henry had been thrilled about the news of Emma's return, although he had been quite worried about the fact that she had been shot, but Regina had managed to reassure him that the blonde would be fine in no time.

He had wanted to storm upstairs to go see Emma right away, but Regina had been able to talk him into waiting till he was back from school, because the blonde's body clearly needed the rest – otherwise she would have woken up by now.

And although Henry had been disappointed he had understood and had stormed off to school in the end.

But once her son had left the house everything had turned into chaos, because first Doctor Whale had told Regina that there was no way that she could get a nurse, because the hospital was already understaffed and then she had heard Emma scream "Ruby Lucas, you're a dead woman!" from upstairs, followed by a dump noise.

Her heart rate had increased drastically, but Regina had headed for the guestroom none-the-less.

She had to make sure Emma was okay after all.

* * *

Emma was lying on the floor, wishing herself away, but nothing happened.

Why had Ruby done this to her? Why did she have to bring her back to Storybrooke? And what was she doing in Regina's house?

She had recognized the mayoral mansion as soon as her eyes had popped open and in a moment of shock Emma had forgotten about her injuries and had jumped up, but her knee had given up on her within a second and she had landed on the floor.

Hard.

When the door opened and Regina appeared Emma had switched into defensive mode, because she figured that the mayor would not be happy about her return, "Listen, Regina...I'm sorry...I know I was not supposed to come...I didn't...Ruby...I have no idea how..."

"It's alright, dear. Don't worry about it. Are you okay?"

The worry in Regina's voice was unmistakable and the blonde started to wonder what was going on.  
She had expected a lot, but that was definitely not one of the scenarios she had in mind.

"Uh...yeah...I'm good, thanks."  
Emma tried to get up, but failed miseralby since one of her arms was in a sling and her knee hurt like hell, not to mention that her muscles were sore, and her bruises were not helping either.

When Regina reached down to offer her a hand Emma was startled once again.  
What was going on?

She took the hand none-the-less and let Regina help her to get back to her feet.  
Once she was standing she looked into the mayor's sparkling brown eyes, searching for an explanation for Regina's weird behavior, because truth be told, Emma Swan was confused to no end.  
Was this a joke? One freaking dream?  
Because clearly this could not be happening for real.

* * *

Regina stood there, frozen to the spot, drowing in Emma's eyes and she knew she had to get away, she had to distract herself, because she felt so drawn to the blonde and she was not sure what she was going to do if Emma would not get out of her personal space.  
And she did not dare to find out, sure that she would scare Emma to death.

When Regina took a step back she realized that she was still holding Emma's hand and she pulled back immediately, shocked by her own behavior.  
Emma had to think that she was crazy.

She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure, "Can you manage to go to the bathroom by yourself? It's right down the hall...second door to the left. There are fresh towles and I put a toothbrush out for you. I take it you didn't bring any clothes? I'm sure I can find something for you to wear...make yourself at home, dear. I'll fix you some breakfast...call me when you need help. I'll be back to help you downstairs in a bit."

And with that Regina left the room, slightly embarrassed by her rambling.

* * *

Emma was sitting in the guestroom of the mansion, staring at the wall.  
She had no idea what was going on, but somewhen during the day she had started to question her sanity.

Regina had been patient and supportive, the brunette even had went to get her some sweatpants and tank tops and they had enjoyed a delicious dinner together with Henry.  
And Regina had tried to be nice. Well, in fact she had more than just tried. She had been nice.  
In her own weird way.

Emma had not missed out on the almost touches or the ones that had lasted a bit too long when Regina had helped her up the stairs or something like that.  
Countless times she had thought the brunette would reach out and cup her cheek, but she had never done it.  
Of course not.

But something about Regina was off.  
The way the mayor looked at her had Emma worried.  
Why did Regina act so strange? And why had she agreed to take care of her?

Mary Margaret and Ruby had been there for a short visit in the afternoon and to Emma's surprise Regina had been somewhat nice to them as well.  
Had hell frozen over after all?

"Emma!"  
Henry's appearance had her out of her thoughts within a heartbeat.

"What's up kid?"  
She was truly grateful for the chance to see her son again, especially since he seemed to be more than happy to have her back.

"I just came to say 'Good night' and check if you would need anything before I go to bed", Henry stated with a bright grin on his face and dropped on the bed beside her.

"I'm good, thanks. I don't need anything right now."

"Okay", he nodded and turned serious, "Care to tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, kid. I was just thinking..." but Emma did not dare to continue the sentence.

"About what?" Henry eyed her curiously and when his blonde mother did not continue he decided to push her a little, because he was worried, "You can talk to me about stuff, you know. I'm not a baby anymore."

Emma had to smile at her son's comment, "I know...it's just...I don't even know what to say...is it just me or is your mom acting...weird?"  
"I'd say she is rather nice", he answered simply.

"She is, isn't she? But why? I mean...don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining, but I was wondering what happened?"  
Emma watched her son's features, recognizing the shift in his expression, "Tell me what you know, kid...you know something, right?"

He nodded slowly and sighed, "It might be...because...because she found out that you have feelings for her."

Emma's eyes went wide, her heart was racing in her chest, "That's impossible! How would she know that?"

"I might have mentioned it?" Henry gave her an apologectic smile, but Emma was frozen to the spot.

This could not be true.

* * *

Emma had not been able to sleep that night.

Her whole life was nothing, but chaos and being back to Storybrooke, wounded, and in need of Regina's help and support made everything even more complicated.  
Especially now that the mayor knew about things she should have never found out.

Emma felt so uncomfortable in her own skin, she wished that the ground would simply swallow her, but of course she had no such luck.

She would have to figure something out, because Regina's behavior confused her more and more.  
She had always thought the brunette would laugh about her if she ever found out that she was in love with her, but it had not happened.  
Yet.

Regina probably treated her nicely because she pitied her or something and Emma could not bear the thought.  
She had to figure out what to do.

* * *

Two more days of almost touches and lingering looks later Emma could not stand it anymore.  
Everything felt awkward and weird and she knew there was just one thing she could do - talk to Regina.

She dreaded the conversation and what it would reveal, but she had no other option.  
So, confrontation it was.

Limping downstairs she made it to Regina's study, where the mayor was sitting at her desk, reading some reports and for a moment Emma stood in the doorway, watching the brunette at work, but then she cleared her throat to make her presence known.

"Take a seat, dear."  
Regina said it without looking up.

Emma did as she was told and sat down on the couch, nervously playing with the hem of her shirt when Regina finally dropped the file and looked at her, "Do you need help with anything?"

"Uhm...no...I actually came to...to talk to you...about something", Emma stammered and regretted her decision to face the brunette, because when she met Regina's eyes all courage had left her within a second.

"Talk to me about what, dear?"

"I...uh...Henry said...that he told you...that I..."  
Classic fail.

When Regina tilted her head Emma took a deep breath, because she knew she had brought this on herself, so she had to deal with it now.  
God, damn it!

"Okay, listen...Henry...he said that he told you about my...my feelings", Emma stated and dropped her head, "For you..."

"He mentioned something, yes...but..." Regina was interrupted right away.

"Regina, before you say anything...let me tell you that...while Henry hasn't lied...things are different now. I mean...when I left Storybrooke I had time to think...a lot. And I realized that I might have gotten a little lost here...and I just needed some time away to...to understand that this was some kind of crush...you know...nothing too serious. I just needed the distance to see that...so you don't have to worry about it anymore, okay? It's over...I don't know what I've been thinking..."

Emma sighed in relief, glad that she had managed to explain herself, but she was too occupied by her own thoughts to see Regina's trembling hand, to see the tears welling in brown eyes.

"Right. Sorry for disturbing you...I just wanted to let you know...to set things straight...you know..."  
That said Emma got up and left the room, not able to stand the awkward silence any longer.

* * *

Regina felt like somebody had stabbed her right in the chest.  
She had come to cherish the blonde's presence over the last couple of days, she had enjoyed taking care of her and she had realized that she indeed cared about Emma Swan.  
That the former sheriff meant more to her than she had ever thought possible.

Why she had not realized that a lot sooner would always stay a mystery, but at least she had figured it out now.

She had caught herself how she had watched Emma's every step, how her hand had lingered on the blonde's back or arm a little too long more than once, she had caught herself thinking about making a move, about kissing Emma, but she had not dared to make it a reality.  
Not once.

Regina had waited for Emma to make a move and when she had entered her study today, announcing that they had to talk, she had thought that the moment had finally come.

And then Emma had told her that it was nothing, just a little crush that had faded away when she had been forced to leave town.  
And in that moment Regina realized that the bet, that was supposed to be her greatest victory, was in fact her downfall.

She had gotten what she had wanted.  
She had gotten rid of Emma Swan.  
But Regina had never thought about how much it would cost her and now that she knew she had no idea how to handle loss and the pain.

That was when her first tears fell.


End file.
